The Department of Food and Public Distribution has unveiled a comprehensive suite of artificial intelligence driven reforms transforming India’s Public Distribution System at the India AI Impact Summit and Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan.
The exhibition pavilion titled AI Empowered Innovations for Public Distribution has been jointly organised by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in collaboration with the World Food Programme. The pavilion was inaugurated by Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, in the presence of Mr Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, and Ms Elisabeth Faure, Country Director and Representative, WFP India, along with senior officials from the Government of India and partner organisations.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Sanjeev Chopra said the Department is moving beyond transparency towards greater responsiveness through systematic integration of artificial intelligence across the entire Public Distribution System value chain. He explained that AI interventions now span procurement of foodgrains, storage management, movement logistics, distribution to beneficiaries and settlement of food subsidy claims raised by States.
He noted that these systems are enabling real time decision making, improving accountability and enhancing operational efficiency. According to him, the deployment of AI tools has already begun delivering measurable outcomes, helping the Department serve nearly 800 million beneficiaries every month with greater speed, precision and transparency while ensuring timely release of food subsidies to States.
Highlighting the India World Food Programme partnership, Ms Elisabeth Faure said the collaboration spanning over two decades continues to strengthen India’s food security architecture. She emphasised that the partnership focuses on improving implementation of key government schemes, particularly the Public Distribution System, through technological innovation and capacity building.
Among the key innovations showcased are Grain ATMs that enable rapid and accurate delivery of foodgrain entitlements through fully digital and AI enabled systems. Smart Warehouse Solutions equipped with sensor based technologies are being used to prevent food losses, enhance storage efficiency and improve food availability. An AI driven Route Optimisation Function has been introduced to streamline transportation under the PDS, reduce operational costs and lower carbon emissions through improved logistics planning.
Ms Faure also announced the launch of a Hackathon to encourage innovative solutions addressing last mile nutrition gaps. Three emerging startups are presenting their solutions at the Summit as part of this initiative.
The exhibition highlights several flagship digital platforms under the SMART PDS framework. The unified national digital backbone integrates ration card management, allocation, procurement, storage, transportation, fair price shop operations, biometric authentication and grievance redressal. Real time analytics dashboards support data driven policy decisions at both Central and State levels.
Anna Chakra, an AI based movement planning system, optimises foodgrain transportation by analysing demand patterns, stock availability and logistics routes, thereby reducing transit time and strengthening supply chain resilience. Depot Darpan, a smart warehousing monitoring platform, enhances infrastructure management, hygiene standards and storage safety through structured inspections and technology enabled oversight.
Automatic Grain Analysers have been deployed to improve speed, transparency and objectivity in quality testing during procurement, thereby enhancing farmer confidence. Citizen centric platforms include ASHA, a multilingual grievance redressal and feedback system; SCAN, an intelligent document processing platform for faster and more transparent subsidy claim settlement; and Annapurti Grain ATMs, automated dispensing machines ensuring accurate and dignified foodgrain distribution through biometric authentication.
Dignitaries undertook a guided walkthrough of the pavilion, including demonstrations led by an AI enabled robotic system showcasing live technology deployments across the PDS ecosystem.
The exhibition remains open to the public from 17 to 19 February 2026 between 10 am and 6 pm at Hall No 5, First Floor, Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The showcase signals a decisive shift in India’s food security architecture, with artificial intelligence and digital technologies now embedded at scale to strengthen efficiency, reduce leakages and enhance citizen centric service delivery across the Public Distribution System.
